


Sidereus

by Coldwaughter



Category: Independence Day (Movies)
Genre: M/M, Stars, space
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-26
Updated: 2016-10-26
Packaged: 2018-08-27 05:44:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8389477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Coldwaughter/pseuds/Coldwaughter
Summary: Following the life of one Brackish Okun and his thoughts about the stars.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Sidereus (Latin), meaning- belonging to the stars
> 
> I'm so grateful to foxygrandpahell on tumblr for reading this over for me before I posted it.

For many centuries and in culture all over the world it has been said that the dead become part of the stars. Those that did great deeds will forever be remembered. They will never truly die for they live in the stars now, for people to see when they look up on a clear night. They are not dead nor are they forgotten; they have a new task, to guide and light the way.

Even in the days of technology, pollution and loss of faith, there were still those that clung to the hope that they would meet their loved ones up there. People had small smiles on their faces when they would pause and look to the sky. It gave them a sense of peace to look up and know that someone was out there, watching over them.

It wasn't something that Brackish dismissed. Ever since he was young he had fallen in love with the idea that the ones we love never truly leave us, and head over heels for the thoughts that humans weren't the only intelligent life forms out there. There was life in the stars no matter which way he looked.

Growing up most of this got him excluded, confined to the back seats in classrooms and never free from the glares and punches of other students who weren't as 'abnormal' as he was. They knew that when you die, you die, there is no 'after' except Heaven or Hell (and they knew which one he was going to). The stars were balls of gas burning millions of miles away, if you didn't see that as fact by now then you must be stupid. The young aspiring scientist couldn't ignore what he believed though. The bluish-black sky was home to so many stars, so many people that were worthy of being placed there with the greatest heroes that the world had and would see.

Going to college and then university should have been different. He should have had the chance to be around similar minded people who were similarly forced to the corners and never picked in Physical Education classes. He learned a hard lesson, that people never change. The situations do, the technology does but people as a whole will still think the same way whether you're six years old and looking through your first telescope or sixteen and ranting over Sunday dinner about the latest discovery about the make up of stars. Even at twenty six while claiming that there is sufficient evidence for extra terrestrial life, people will look at and judge you. 

When he first met Doctor Milton Isaacs he knew instantly that the man was one of those people who would end up there. There was no chance that he would just simply die and go to Heaven or Hell. When he died the world would mourn him, there would be a message written in the sky telling everyone that He Is Dead. He would be there amongst the constellations.

Everything about the Doctor radiated light and brightness and warmth. He had the qualities that were so reminiscent of the stars for him not to be placed there would be a cruel injustice that Brackish would never forgive the world for. When he spoke it was perfectly tuned pianos playing harmonious chords, when his hands brushed Brackish's it was bright, bursting fireworks lighting up the sky, when he smiled it was walking down a street covered with autumn leaves crunching under your feet while listening to the most upbeat music.

If Asklepious could defy the odds of his birth and become the patron of medicine, if he had any mercy then he would look down upon the mortals of this world and take care of souls like Milton's. If the Gods existed, that was. If he ever had any power then he would be a fool to not have taken note of Dr. Isaacs. Brackish would risk insulting any number of Gods to swear to that.

He had never expected for the good doctor to ever agree to star gaze with him, nor for it to become a regular thing. Once a week, providing the skies were clear and they both could afford the time spent outside simply lying together on one of the roofs of the Area 51 building. Something he expected even less was for Milton to turn and give him a peck on his cheek while they were both huddled under a blanket one night. All thoughts of the stars, of possible fantastical worlds and creatures being out there and of the myths he had memorised flew out of his head and he was left speechless. He knew his place, knew that Brackish Okun wouldn't be one of the names people would talk about when they looked up at the stars. He was meant to live and die and that was it, he wasn't worthy enough for someone so great to ever take an interest in him.

A constant for the two of them was the constellations. In all the years of knowing each other those trips up onto the roof to see the stars and dream and hope never changed. They always had that, until they didn't.

They had nights together until an alien ship descended and threw their entire world into chaos. It blocked out the stars; nobody had asked for them to be put out or banished but now there was no way for them to help, no way for them to guide. For the first time in centuries humanity was alone. They weren't alone in the universe but they were alone.

There was no time for sweet, romantic late night meetings or whispered declarations of love anymore. Work took over. They had to understand this new species, prepare to fight this new enemy and they were alone in all of it. They had ran out of options.

It was on one of those starless days when the world seemed to stop for the both of them. Brackish was glad that Milton wasn't there in the room with the others, he had managed to be spared that cruel and unfitting a death and live another day at least. He had the chance to go on and continue doing great, star-worthy things. Milton's plans for his future, (their future), had been ripped away from him in mere minutes. He would have to go on, forcing himself to put one foot in front of the other one and do everything he could to make sure that Brackish woke up. The world couldn't lose a scientist like him.

Twenty years passed by like clockwork. The stars were back and Milton was confident that one day Brackish would be able to go up to their spot on the roof and tell him all of the stories about the constellations again. That couldn't be the end for the two of them. He held onto the memories of being kissed and held in between promises that there was somebody up there watching down on them and helping them. For twenty years he held onto the hope that the heroes in the stars were helping him, guiding his love back to him. He had to see that smile again some day.

It was cruel really how the stars were put out again on the day they were brought back together again. There was no time for either of them to go outside and find their spot to learn each other's bodies all over again. For Brackish the stars had never been back, he hadn't seen them, hadn't known how it was them that kept Milton moving.

Hours later when the world still hadn't finished celebrating and the sun had finally set the stars still weren't visible. Fireworks lit up the area, beams of light from torches were flickering all over the sky and he couldn't see them. He couldn't see where Milton should be now. Brackish was left curled in the blanket they had once both shared, wearing the scarf that meant more to him than his life in that moment and wondering what kind of cruel twist of fate it was that he couldn't search out for the new star that was surely taking his place up there.

There was no smile on his face as he looked upwards for the first time since the stars had come back. Nor did he ever think there could be again.


End file.
